Improving College Access Through Financial Aid Transparency and FAFSA Simplification

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently announced that the 2024-25 redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be released in December—a departure from the traditional October 1 release of the form. ED attributes the delay of the launch date to the unprecedented complexity of the changes, which are intended to simplify the process of applying for federal aid for college.